Shade or curtain fixture



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. H; PORSYTH. SHADE 0R CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 14,1897.

m m F TN! NoRms PETERS co, movaumo. msmusrom mV 0 (No Model.) 2 sheets-Sheena H. H. PORSYTH. SHADE 0R CURTAIN FIXTURE.

No. 595,563. Patented Dec. 14,1897.

UNITED STATES. PATENT @EETc HENRY I-I. FORSYTH, or crnoAeo, ILLINOIS.

SHADE OR CURTAIN FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,563, dated December 14, 1897.

Ap licatio fil d December 1, 1896. Serial lTo. 614,056. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. FORSYTH, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shade or Curtain Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in shade or curtain fixtures, and'more particularly to that class of shade or curtain fixtures in which theshade is mounted upon a spring-actuated roller and in which the movements of the shade are controlled by an endless cord connected to the lower corners of the shade.

My invention has for its object to provide simple and practicable means for connecting the cord andcurtain and to this end my invention consists in certain novel features, which will be hereinafter described, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation showing the fixture applied to a shade. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the tubular shade-stick and heads, showing the means for connecting the latter to the endless cord, said heads being partly in section. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show difierent forms of'tips or heads. Figs. 6 and 7 are end views of the heads shown in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively; and Fig. 8 is a sectional View similar v to Fig. 5, illustrating a further modification.

In the drawings, A represents the shade, which is mounted onaspring-actuated shaderoller B, journaled in suitable brackets in the upper part of the Window-frame. The lower end of the shade or curtain usually carries, where this class of devices are used, a tubular shade-stick C, and my invention consists in novel means for connecting the shadestick to the curtain-operating cord.

I use the term cord generically to include any applicable connection, such as a wire cord or a metallic tape or ribbon, and I have adapted my invention particularly to the use of the latter. These metal tapes are usually spring-tempered, so that they will not stand undue deflection or bending and therefore are more difficult to attach than wire cords. I employ an endless tape, (marked D,) said tape being doubled upon itself and passed over guides located, respectively, at the corners of the window-frame.

My present invention relates to means for attaching the endless cord to the corners of the shade or curtain. To this end I have provided tips or heads having slots or apertures, through which the strands of the cords ing the head and cord together and for connectingthe heads with the shade or curtain. These heads may be constructed in various ways, but they have certain features in common'whioh are essential. The head is composed, preferably, of a metal block Ksay of cast-brass, to correspond with the usual trimmings employed in fixtures of this kind. This head has an opening therein for the passage of a strand of the endless tape. This opening may be in the form of an open slot is, as shown in Fig. 3, or an aperture is, as

shown in Fig. 4. I prefer to use both forms on the same fixture for the reason that the two ends of the tape may be lapped upon each other within the aperture 10, while the head shown in Fig. 3 can be readily connected to a strand of the tape at any point. The aperture or slot, as the case may be, is bisected by a threaded aperture, (shown at M,) and said aperture preferably extends entirely through the block, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 The walls of this aperture are threaded through a portion of their length, at least,and through these threaded apertures are turned the threaded ends n of shanks N, which shanks enter the tubular shade-stick O. The threaded portions of the shanks are of such length that their extremities may be screwed into contact with the tape, and the impinging ends are round-pointed, so as to securely hold the tape by indenting it. The holding power of these points may be increased by slightly deflecting the tape into that portion of the horizontal opening lying beyond the slot or aperture, as shown in Fig. 2, or the same result might be secured by the construction shown in Fig. 5, where the extremity of the threaded portion of the shank is countersunk and the tape deflected into said countersunk portion by the opposing point of a threaded block or stud, (marked 0.) Some convenient means will be provided for turning the shanks so as to advance their threaded ends into contact with the tape. Pin-holes are shown at n for this purpose,

- pass,with simple means for securing or clampand in order to prevent them from unscrewing lock-nuts may be employed.

With the fixture constructed as shown and described, the upper and lower guides being secured in place, the tape may be strung thereon and its ends overlapped within the aperture 70 of the head K and the shank screwed up until said overlapped ends are tightly held in place. The curtain or shade when hung will be connected to the head thus engaged by entering the shank of said head into one end of the tubular shade-stick, While the head at the opposite end may also have its shank entered in the opposite end of the shade-stick and the latter tilted into such a position that a strand of the endless tape at the opposite side of the frame may be entered in the open slot k. The lower marginof the shade will then be returned into a horizontal position, and then the threaded shank will be screwed up to impinge the tape, thus quickly and accurately connecting the strands of the tape to the shade or curtain.

I wish it to be understood that either of the forms of construction of the tip or head shown may be employed at either side of the curtain and that modifications of the particular construction might be made-as, for example, while I prefer to use a detachable shank whose threaded end acts as a binding-screw, still the shank might be solidly attached to thehead and detachably connected with the tubular shade-stick and a separate binding-screw might be employed. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, in which the shank N is shown as formed integral with the head K and fitting into or otherwise detachably connected with the tubular shade-stick, the head being provided with a threaded aperture p to receive a separate binding-screw P, which screws into the same from the inside of the head and is adapted to impinge upon and bind the band or cord in the manner already explained. It is obvious, however, that the threaded detachable shank affords a means within itself for adjusting the fixture to variations in the depth of groove or width of window-frame and that it also at the same time affords a secure and efficient fastening for the tape.

The fixture can be readily disconnected from the shade or curtain if it is desired to renew the latter, clean the Window, or replace or repair any of the parts.

I claim- 1. A curtain-fixture, comprising in combination a metallic head having a vertical aperture to receive an operating band or cord, a second aperture bisecting the former, and a shank having a threaded portion protruding into said bisecting aperture and adapted to impinge the band or cord, whereby to clamp it to the head, substantially as described.

2. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a tubular shade-stick of an endless opcrating-cord, an apertured head having the extremities of the cord overlapped and clamped therein, and a second head carried by the opposite end of the shade-stick and having an open slot and a clamping means, whereby it may be detachably connected with an opposite strand of said cord, substantially as described.

In a curtain -fixturc, the combination with a head having an aperture to receive an operating cord or band and a movable clamping device adapted to be moved into contact with one side of said band or cord and the clamping-surfaces being of such contour as to deflect the portion of the cord embraced between them, substantially as described.

HENRY H. FORSYTII.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. Goonwm, A. J. PRATT. 

